There's just one week left before the sure-to-be epic
"True Detective" season finale, but at least one mystery regarding the HBO hit has cleared up: Once Season 1 ends, Matthew McConaughey's out of there.

While McConaughey and co-star Woody Harrelson's involvement with the series beyond the first season never seemed to be part of the deal, as the project was pitched as an anthology series, there always remained a parcel of hope that HBO might try to convince the duo to stick around -- especially considering the series' success in the ratings. Unfortunately, that won't be the case. (Also -- HBO has yet to order a second season, the goofballs.)

To be fair, McConaughey does have more-than-thriving film career to return to -- one that ought to be even more white-hot with his first Oscar win under his belt. The actor shared his thoughts on his recent "McConaissance" -- and just what he thinks about that turn of phrase.

"That's a term I heard -- Somebody said it in Sundance. He turned and said, 'It's quite a "McConaissance" you've been on,'" he reveals. "And I was like, 'Wait, wait, go back. What'd you just say? What's a 'McConassaince'? I was like, 'I don't know what that is, but it sounds good.'

"I've told this story before, but I took a couple years off. I didn't know if it would be two years, three years, four years -- I took some time off," McConaughey continues. "I stopped doing the things I was doing because I wanted to do something I felt I could give an original take on. Something that scared the hell out of me."

This new outlook on his career began, he says, with films like "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "Magic Mike." "If I'm going to be honest, I've been more process-oriented than I ever have been," he adds. "I've been more, like, 'Go for the experience, Matthew. What's the personal experience I can get out of this as an actor?'"

And, as the last few months have proved, it's been working. "Now results came in more than ever by just putting my head down and sticking to the process," he says. "'Wolf of Wall Street,' I got to go work with Martin Scorsese. Worked with Leonardo [DiCaprio] in a scene for a day. 'True Detective,' great writing. I read two episodes and I'm like, 'I'm doing this. If you give me the role of Rust Cohle, I'm in.'

"I'm just going for the quality and the experience. 'What's my experience gonna be? I don't know what this means, and I don't know what the result will be. What can I get an experience out of, Matthew?' That's the question I ask myself."